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And there you are, at the wheel of a brand-new Ferrari road car in Monaco, a week before the annual Grand Prix, mixing it up with traffic on the actual Formula 1 circuit (the guardrails are up, the grid lines are painted, but the streets are still open to the public). Suddenly, ahead looms the famed seaside tunnel. The traffic momentarily clears. Do you: (A) immediately turn around, park the Ferrari, and attempt to find a spa where you can soak your feet in Chanel No. 5; (B) allow the tiny Smart car behind you to pass because, well, he has three cylinders, you have 12, and in France it is glorious to be a martyr; or (C) paddle-shift the Ferrari’s semi-automatic gearbox down into first, stand on the throttle, and blitz through that illustrious tunnel like you’ll never, ever get a chance like this again–the unbelievable wail of 533 redlined horses ricocheting off the walls, the brutally quick F1 gear changes shocking the air like lightning strikes, the tourists diving for cover, the flabbergasted gendarmes reaching for their automatic machine guns?

So did we.

Few automobiles shine in a dark tunnel like this new Ferrari. Not only does its 48-valve, 5.7-liter V-12 kick out a scream that could make a bear wet its pants, but, thanks to its open top–an innovative, rotating, variably transparent glass roof dubbed “Revocromico”–every decibel of that electrifying combustion-chamber music finds its way to your tympanic membranes.

The new car is called the Superamerica. Is that a great name, or what? It’s as brazen and comic-book perfect as “Captain Fantastic” or “Speed Racer.” And, yes, this is a car that could get away with a giant “S” on its hood: It’s an even more potent, alfresco version of the awesome 575M Maranello. In fact, pointing to a top speed of nearly 200 mph, Ferrari claims the Superamerica is now the fastest production convertible in the world.

The tifosi in the audience will recall that Ferrari has built Superamericas before. The original, a more powerful successor to the early-1950s Ferrari America models (named to honor the increasingly important U.S. market), made its debut in the mid-1950s as the V-12-powered 410 Superamerica. In 1959 followed the updated 400 Superamerica, available in coupe and convertible styles. Enzo Ferrari himself called the Superamerica series “the chinchilla among automobiles.” And, no, in making a comparison with furry little rodents, Il Commendatore had not been dipping too deeply into the Lambrusco. Rather, he was poetically associating his limited-edition (the company built fewer than 90 Superamericas), topline luxury GTs with smoky Cote d’Azur casinos, vintage champagne served in gleaming crystal, and–of course–breathtaking women draped in diamonds and fabulous pelts.

The 2006 Superamerica plays in the same elite league of Pepsodent-white yachts and private Gulfstreams. Base sticker is around $320,000 (final prices hadn’t been released as we went to press). Ferrari will build only 559 examples (170 are destined for the U.S.). Why 559? “Enzo Ferrari’s rule was always to build one fewer car than the market desired,” says a Ferrari spokesperson. (If you insist on scientific data to explain how the Italians determined that the market wants 560 cars, stop reading now, sell your Pavarotti CDs, and go buy a Porsche.) Oh, and don’t even bother getting in the Superamerica checkout line: All 559 cars were sold well before the first deliveries (about the time you read this).

Those lucky, exceedingly rich few will own a vehicle that deserves a special place in the Museum of Stuff That’ll Make You Cry for Not Buying Cisco Shares at $1. Worthy of its own highlight exhibit is the unique Revocromico roof. No mere novelty, this acrobatic rectangle of glass transforms the already wonderful Maranello into a sybaritic masterpiece.

With parking brake engaged, twist the windshield lock, press a button on the center console, and in seven seconds the roof rotates backward and flush against the rear deck. It’s a brilliantly simple act: hardtop-convertible security and sensuality without all the dancing body panels, multiple whirring motors, and delay of conventional folding hardtops. And get this: Even when folded down, the roof eats up not a millimeter of trunk space (you can access the trunk when the roof is open, too). The B-pillars are fixed, of course, but they incorporate welcome roll hoops and a rear glass wind deflector. Some may cry “targa,” but having the sky available at the push of a button certainly feels like “convertible”–and it’s vastly more convenient than having to manually remove and stow roof panels (as is the case with the Porsche Carrera GT and the Maserati MC-12).

The roof’s twirling routine is only Act One. Developed in cooperation with French supplier Saint-Gobain, the Revocromico glass incorporates electro-chemical cells that, at the twist of a cockpit knob, provide five different levels of light transmission. It takes about 60 seconds for the panel to change from its most transparent setting (about that of a conventional moonroof) to its darkest (only one percent of solar rays filter through). When the driver exits the car, the roof automatically goes to darkest mode to protect the interior. Overall, not as useful as the flip-open feature, perhaps, but a cool trick to have in one’s arsenal.

The roof makes a sweet icing, but Superamerica buyers come for the cake. They’ll have a feast. Cut loose on the vicious mountain switchbacks of the Riviera’s Col de Vence, the Superamerica seemed to jettison a good portion of its 3950 pounds (structural additions for convertible duty have added about 130 pounds over the Maranello). The car feels smaller than it is. Part of that sense of leanness is due to sheer horsepower. The Superamerica is crazily, impossibly fast. Dip into the throttle, and the Ferrari doesn’t just accelerate–it seems to suck the approaching corner right into its ravenous maw. After thrilling yourself like this for a few minutes, though, you realize that, like stepping into a puddle that turns out to be a flooded well, that throttle is in fact seriously deep, with a long way left to go. Press the gas flat against the firewall–and it takes a decent stretch of road to get away with this–and the V-12 fully awakens, discharging a fearsome howl as the surrounding trees go blurry and your right foot leaps back to the brakes so you don’t soar right over the onrushing turn. Ferrari claims a 0-to-62-mph time of 4.2 seconds, and even well past that speed the reservoir of acceleration seems bottomless. This thing must be absolutely mind-bending on the autobahn.

Although the V-12 is the same powerplant used in the 575, in the Superamerica output is up by 25 horsepower, thanks to higher-flow intake tracts and a new exhaust that reduces back pressure. The F1 semi-manual gearbox has also been refined for quicker shifts in Sport mode and smoother operation in F1A mode. During our test drive, the transmission was all but faultless, never hiccupping–even in the busiest city traffic–and always ready to perform a stunningly precise downshift. Strangely, the box tended to blip the throttle a bit on upshifts, like a novice driver forgetting to release the gas when engaging the clutch, but shifts were smooth nonetheless. For buyers who want one, a six-speed manual is optional.

Steering at first feels light, but it’s direct, alive in your hands. You caress this big, burly GT through turns; a fingertip touch is all that’s needed. Like other Ferrari chassis, this one is unfailingly elegant and precise. The Superamerica wears larger standard tires than the 575 (19-inch Bridgestones versus 18-inchers) but, like the Maranello, incorporates a two-position active-damping system that constantly adjusts the response of the proportional-valve shocks based on inputs from six onboard accelerometers. In Sport mode, the suspension is exceptionally firm–too stiff, in fact, to handle the broken asphalt we regularly encountered in the mountains. Most owners will likely use the setting only on the track. Selecting Sport also backs off the traction control and quickens the action of the F1 box; gear changes are completed in as little as 180 milliseconds–in the cockpit, shifts feel like they’re being delivered by a hammer.

Superamerica buyers can have their cars almost any way they want–as long as it’s expensive. The factory will paint to your color sample, for example. Or choose carbon-fiber racing seats and a complete carbon-fiber interior. Or a navigation system. Or, for nearly $25K, the GTC handling package, which adds such features as a firmer suspension, red brake calipers, and carbon-ceramic brakes. It’s likely no two Superamericas will be exactly alike.

Now, toss those Donald Trump books; burn those Tony Robbins Personal Power tapes. Instead, pin a poster of the Ferrari Superamerica over your desk. This isn’t just an incredible automobile. It’s also one helluva motivation for getting rich.

2006 Ferrari Superamerica

Base price

$320,000 (est)

Vehicle layout

Front engine, RWD, 2-door, 2-pass convertible

Engine

5.7L/533 hp/434 lb-ft DOHC 48-valve V-12

Transmission

6-speed auto-clutch manual

Curb weight

3950 lb (mfr)

Wheelbase

98.4 in

Length x Width x Height

179.1 x 76.2 x 50.3 in

0-62 mph

4.2 sec (est)

EPA city/hwy fuel econ

10 / 16 mpg (est)

On sale in u.S.

Currently

1955 Ferrari 510 Superamerica GhiaWhen you’ve seen one, you really have seen them allWords Matt Stone

This winged wonder was built 50 years ago for Leader Card Company owner R. C. Wilke. Mr. Wilke was a successful champ-car team owner (his entries won the Indy 500 in 1959, 1962, and 1968) and already a Ferrari owner when he commissioned Italy’s Ghia coachworks to fashion this decidedly unique machine. It was built on a modified 410 Superamerica chassis and packs a special Ferrari V-12 engine. The “Lampredi” series powerplant was born as an F1 engine in 4.5-liter form and was later stretched to 4.9 liters. This Superamerica’s bored-out, 5.1-liter version was rated at 340 horsepower–heady stuff back then. The look, upon which Wilke reportedly had considerable influence, is dominated by the large, oval eggcrate grille and, of course, those huge bat fins that begin at the rear edge of the doors and carry up and out to nearly the height of the roof. Although Ghia would design other Ferraris, and a few of this car’s styling cues ended up on later Ghia-bodied Chrysler “Idea Cars,” this Superamerica is the only one of its kind.